Highland Beach spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Highland Beach’s town government spent $12.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $3,292 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Highland Beach is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$3,292 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
Highland Beach’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,292 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 97 Florida cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,449, and the middle half spent $1,034–$2,118. Highland Beach spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.7 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Florida cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Highland Beach itself left out).
About $3,292 per resident a year, or $9.02 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 37%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Highland Beach reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $7,391 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.81% of the home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Highland Beach’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Highland Beach’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Highland Beach →
Who’s in charge in Highland Beach
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Highland Beach’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on ci.highland-beach.fl.us ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 103 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (3,915).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Palm Beach County School District
Highland Beach’s K–12 school district, shared with Atlantis, Belle Glade, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Briny Breezes and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,224 per pupil, $9,697 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Florida districts overall: 55% local, 29% state, 15% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Highland Beach’s votes are counted by county
Florida reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Highland Beach alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Palm Beach County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.8%372,512 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.0%366,836 votesOthers: 1.2% (9,141 votes).
Most votes in Palm Beach County: Kamala D Harris
Florida: Trump 56.1%, Harris 43.0%
100% of Highland Beach lies in Palm Beach County. Every 2024 race in Palm Beach County is on the county’s page.
Palm Beach County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Highland Beach.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: ci.highland-beach.fl.us ↗
- 2Florida HouseState representatives
- 3Florida SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Florida
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Highland Beach compares with the towns next door
Highland Beach spent $3,292 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,832 to $2,886. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Delray Beach | $2,832 | $3,351 |
| Boca Raton | $2,886 | $6,063 |
| Highland Beach | $3,292 | $7,391 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Highland Beach’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Highland Beach’s government
How much does Highland Beach spend per resident?
About $3,292 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,292 was more than 94% of 97 Florida cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Highland Beach?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,391 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.81% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.76% across Florida. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.highland-beach.fl.us.
Who runs Highland Beach’s government?
See ci.highland-beach.fl.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Highland Beach yet.
How did Highland Beach vote in 2024?
Florida counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Highland Beach alone. Palm Beach County, where 100% of Highland Beach lies, voted Harris 49.8%, Trump 49.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Highland Beach?
38 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $274,378 (about $3.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Highland Beach in the state legislature?
State Senate District 26 (Lori Berman) and State House District 91 (Peggy Gossett-Seidman). The House district also covers 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Highland Beach’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →